In Search of the Castaways: New Zealand

Chapter XVII

Ayrton’s Obstinacy

CHAPTER XVII

AYRTON came. He crossed the deck with a confident tread, and mounted the
steps to the poop. His eyes were gloomy, his teeth set, his fists
clenched convulsively. His appearance betrayed neither effrontery nor
timidity. When he found himself in the presence of Lord Glenarvan he
folded his arms and awaited the questions calmly and si- lently.

"Ayrton," said Glenarvan, "here we are then, you and us, on this very
Duncan that you wished to deliver into the hands of the convicts
of Ben Joyce."

The lips of the quartermaster trembled slightly and a quick flush
suffused his impassive features. Not the flush of remorse, but of shame
at failure. On this yacht which he thought he was to command as master,
he was a prisoner, and his fate was about to be decided in a few seconds.

However, he made no reply. Glenarvan waited pa- tiently. But Ayrton
persisted in keeping absolute silence.

"Speak, Ayrton, what have you to say?" resumed Glen- arvan.

Ayrton hesitated, the wrinkles in his forehead deepened, and at length he
said in calm voice:

"I have nothing to say, my Lord. I have been fool enough to allow myself
to be caught. Act as you please."

Then he turned his eyes away toward the coast which lay on the west, and
affected profound indifference to what was passing around him. One would
have thought him a stranger to the whole affair. But Glenarvan was deter-
mined to be patient. Powerful motives urged him to find out certain
details concerning the mysterious life of Ayrton, especially those which
related to Harry Grant and the Bri- tannia. He therefore resumed
his interrogations, speaking with extreme gentleness and firmly
restraining his violent irritation against him.

"I think, Ayrton," he went on, "that you will not refuse to reply to
certain questions that I wish to put to you; and, first of all, ought I
to call you Ayrton or Ben Joyce? Are you, or are you not, the
quartermaster of the Britannia?"

Ayrton remained impassive, gazing at the coast, deaf to every question.

Glenarvan’s eyes kindled, as he said again: 405 406 IN SEARCH OF THE
CASTAWAYS

"Will you tell me how you left the Britannia, and why you are in
Australia?"

The same silence, the same impassibility.

"Listen to me, Ayrton," continued Glenarvan; "it is to your interest to
speak. Frankness is the only resource left to you, and it may stand you
in good stead. For the last time, I ask you, will you reply to my
questions?"

Ayrton turned his head toward Glenarvan, and looked into his eyes.

"My Lord," he said, "it is not for me to answer. Jus- tice may witness
against me, but I am not going to witness against myself."

"Proof will be easy," said Glenarvan.

"Easy, my Lord," repeated Ayrton, in a mocking tone. "Your honor makes
rather a bold assertion there, it seems to me. For my own part, I venture
to affirm that the best judge in the Temple would be puzzled what to make
of me. Who will say why I came to Australia, when Captain Grant is not
here to tell? Who will prove that I am the Ben Joyce placarded by the
police, when the police have never had me in their hands, and my
companions are at liberty? Who can damage me except yourself, by bringing
forward a single crime against me, or even a blameable action? Who will
affirm that I intended to take possession of this ship and deliver it
into the hands of the convicts? No one, I tell you, no one. You have your
suspicions, but you need certainties to condemn a man, and certainties
you have none. Until there is a proof to the contrary, I am Ayrton,
quartermaster of the Britannia."

Ayrton had become animated while he was speaking, but soon relapsed into
his former indifference.

He, no doubt, expected that his reply would close the ex- amination, but
Glenarvan commenced again, and said:

"Ayrton, I am not a Crown prosecutor charged with your indictment. That
is no business of mine. It is important that our respective situations
should be clearly defined. I am not asking you anything that could
compromise you. That is for justice to do. But you know what I am search-
ing for, and a single word may put me on the track I have lost. Will you
speak?"

Ayrton shook his head like a man determined to be silent. AYRTON’S
OBSTINACY 407

"Will you tell me where Captain Grant is?" asked Glen- arvan.

"No, my Lord," replied Ayrton.

"Will you tell me where the Britannia was wrecked?"

"No, neither the one nor the other."

"Ayrton," said Glenarvan, in almost beseeching tones, "if you know where
Harry Grant is, will you, at least, tell his poor children, who are
waiting for you to speak the word?"

Ayrton hesitated. His features contracted, and he mut- tered in a low
voice, "I cannot, my Lord."

Then he added with vehemence, as if reproaching him- self for a momentary
weakness:

"Ayrton, there is neither judge nor executioner here. At the first port
we touch at, you will be given up into the hands of the English
authorities."

"That is what I demand," was the quartermaster’s reply.

Then he turned away and quietly walked back to his cabin, which served as
his prison. Two sailors kept guard at the door, with orders to watch his
slightest movement. The witnesses of this examination retired from the
scene indignant and despairing.

As Glenarvan could make no way against Ayrton’s ob- stinacy, what was to
be done now? Plainly no course re- mained but to carry out the plan
formed at Eden, of returning to Europe and giving up for the time this
unsuc- cessful enterprise, for the traces of the Britannia seemed
irrevocably lost, and the document did not appear to allow any fresh
interpretation. On the 37th parallel there was not even another country,
and the Duncan had only to turn and go back.

After Glenarvan had consulted his friends, he talked over the question of
returning, more particularly with the cap- tain. John examined the coal
bunkers, and found there was only enough to last fifteen days longer at
the outside. It was necessary, therefore, to put in at the nearest port
for a fresh supply. 408 IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS

John proposed that he should steer for the Bay of Talca- huano, where the
Duncan had once before been revictualed before she commenced her
voyage of circumnavigation. It was a direct route across, and lay exactly
along the 37th parallel. From thence the yacht, being amply provisioned,
might go south, double Cape Horn, and get back to Scotland by the
Atlantic route.

This plan was adopted, and orders were given to the en- gineer to get up
the steam. Half an hour afterward the beak-head of the yacht was turned
toward Talcahuano, over a sea worthy of being called the Pacific, and at
six P. M. the last mountains of New Zealand had disappeared in warm, hazy
mist on the horizon.

The return voyage was fairly commenced. A sad voy- age, for the
courageous searching party to come back to the port without bringing home
Harry Grant with them! The crew, so joyous at departure and so hopeful,
were com- ing back to Europe defeated and discouraged. There was not one
among the brave fellows whose heart did not swell at the thought of
seeing his own country once more; and yet there was not one among them
either who would not have been willing to brave the perils of the sea for
a long time still if they could but find Captain Grant.

Consequently, the hurrahs which greeted the return of Lord Glenarvan to
the yacht soon gave place to dejection. Instead of the close intercourse
which had formerly existed among the passengers, and the lively
conversations which had cheered the voyage, each one kept apart from the
others in the solitude of his own cabin, and it was seldom that anyone
appeared on the deck of the Duncan.

Paganel, who generally shared in an exaggerated form the feelings of
those about him, whether painful or joyous — a man who could have
invented hope if necessary — even Paganel was gloomy and taciturn. He was
seldom vis- ible; his natural loquacity and French vivacity gave place to
silence and dejection. He seemed even more down- hearted than his
companions. If Glenarvan spoke at all of renewing the search, he shook
his head like a man who has given up all hope, and whose convictions
concerning the fate of the shipwrecked men appeared settled. It was quite
evi- dent he believed them irrevocably lost.

And yet there was a man on board who could have spoken AYRTON’S OBSTINACY
409 the decisive word, and refused to break his silence. This was Ayrton.
There was no doubt the fellow knew, if not the present whereabouts of the
captain, at least the place of shipwreck. But it was evident that were
Grant found, he would be a witness against him. Hence his persistent si-
lence, which gave rise to great indignation on board, espe- cially among
the crew, who would have liked to deal sum- marily with him.

Glenarvan repeatedly renewed his attempts with the quar- termaster, but
promises and threats were alike useless. Ayr- ton’s obstinacy was so
great, and so inexplicable, that the Major began to believe he had
nothing to reveal. His opin- ion was shared, moreover, by the geographer,
as it cor- roborated his own notion about Harry Grant.

But if Ayrton knew nothing, why did he not confess his ignorance? It
could not be turned against him. His si- lence increased the difficulty
of forming any new plan. Was the presence of the quartermaster on the
Australian conti- nent a proof of Harry Grant’s being there? It was
settled that they must get this information out of Ayrton.

Lady Helena, seeing her husband’s ill-success, asked his permission to
try her powers against the obstinacy of the quartermaster. When a man had
failed, a woman perhaps, with her gentler influence, might succeed. Is
there not a constant repetition going on of the story of the fable where
the storm, blow as it will, cannot tear the cloak from the shoulders of
the traveler, while the first warm rays of sun- shine make him throw it
off immediately?

Glenarvan, knowing his young wife’s good sense, allowed her to act as she
pleased.

The same day (the 5th of March), Ayrton was conducted to Lady Helena’s
saloon. Mary Grant was to be present at the interview, for the influence
of the young girl might be considerable, and Lady Helena would not lose
any chance of success.

For a whole hour the two ladies were closeted with the quartermaster, but
nothing transpired about their interview. What had been said, what
arguments they used to win the secret from the convict, or what questions
were asked, re- mained unknown; but when they left Ayrton, they did not
seem to have succeeded, as the expression on their faces denoted
discouragement. 410 IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS

In consequence of this, when the quartermaster was being taken back to
his cabin, the sailors met him with violent menaces. He took no notice
except by shrugging his shoul- ders, which so increased their rage, that
John Mangles and Glenarvan had to interfere, and could only repress it
with difficulty.

But Lady Helena would not own herself vanquished. She resolved to
struggle to the last with this pitiless man, and went next day herself to
his cabin to avoid exposing him again to the vindictiveness of the crew.

The good and gentle Scotchwoman stayed alone with the convict leader for
two long hours. Glenarvan in a state of extreme nervous anxiety, remained
outside the cabin, al- ternately resolved to exhaust completely this last
chance of success, alternately resolved to rush in and snatch his wife
from so painful a situation.

But this time when Lady Helena reappeared, her look was full of hope. Had
she succeeded in extracting the secret, and awakening in that adamant
heart a last faint touch of pity?

McNabbs, who first saw her, could not restrain a gesture of incredulity.

However the report soon spread among the sailors that the quartermaster
had yielded to the persuasions of Lady Helena. The effect was electrical.
The entire crew as- sembled on deck far quicker than Tom Austin’s whistle
could have brought them together.

Glenarvan had hastened up to his wife and eagerly asked:

"Has he spoken?"

"No," replied Lady Helena, "but he has yielded to my entreaties, and
wishes to see you."

"Ah, dear Helena, you have succeeded!"

"I hope so, Edward."

"Have you made him any promise that I must ratify?"

"Only one; that you will do all in your power to mitigate his
punishment."

"Very well, dear Helena. Let Ayrton come immedi- ately."

Lady Helena retired to her cabin with Mary Grant, and the quartermaster
was brought into the saloon where Lord Glenarvan was expecting him.